Public Defender Jerry Ader, attorney David Fitch, representing the city, and City Court Judge Durin Rogers held meetings over the past two days and came to an agreement that will spare Lily her life, potentially, while the conviction of Duty Caswell for harboring a vicious dog will stand.

As part of the agreement, Ader withdraws his motion challenging Caswell's conviction and will file a new motion to vacate the sentence. That should happen in about two weeks.

In the meantime, Fitch must find a dog behavioral specialist who can certify that Lily is redeemable.

Rogers issued an order in May to have Lily put down as a vicious dog because of an incident on Hutchins Place on March 7 where she bit a 13-year-old boy.

She didn't help her case when she bit the Sheriff's K-9 deputy.

But folks at the Animal Shelter believe Lily is worth saving and rallied to her cause. They secured space for her with the Kramer Foundation, which specializes in rehabilitating dogs declared vicious and slated for euthanasia.

It's an adrenaline rush to see one of his border collies racing through four jumps, grabbing a tennis ball and streaking back to him, said Hamburg resident Peter Russell, who was in Batavia on Saturday to compete in a biannual flyball competition at the Fairgrounds.

Flyball is a dog-racing sport. Teams are comprised of four dogs and four handlers. Each dog runs down a track, jumping over four hurdles, hitting a platform at the end of the track, which releases a tennis ball, and then the dog runs back through the hurdles with the ball. The race is a relay, so once the first dog returns, the next dog runs the next leg.

The sport was created in California in the late 1960s and has grown to international proportions.

Russell is a member of the Buffalo Wings Flyball Team, which has won national championships.

More than 15 teams competed yesterday, with dogs and owners traveling to Batavia from throughout the Northeastern United States and Canada.

The exhibition hall at the fairgrounds on Saturday was a cacophony of yelps and yaps and a whir of flashing fur.

"I think people enjoy the sport because of how quick it is," Russell said. "Races come down to hundredths of a second."

"You're with four different people," Henderson said. "That's what's fun about it. You're working with a whole team of people. It's not like other sports where you're just one handler working with a dog. You're a team."

Each member of the team has a specific role. The lead dog needs to have stamina since false starts can mean multiple trips down the track before there's a legal start. There are the middle leg dogs who need to be fast and agile, and then there's the anchor dog, who ideally loves to race and has the competitive drive to overtake another dog if the team has fallen behind. There also needs to be a height dog. The height dog is the smallest dog on the team. The shorter the dog, the lower the hurdles for the team.

Russell and his wife own 13 border collies. Four of them are retired and nine of them race. They're also breeders.

Border collies are particularly well suited to the sport, Russell said.

"It gives them a job to do," he said. "Border collies are bred to herd sheep, so they need a job to do. Their job is to go get the ball and come back to you and tug on their toy. In essence, that's their job for the day. It gives them some mind stimulation, because it's a difficult sport to learn and master and it gives them the physical stimulation because they're running over four jumps, hitting a box, coming back, tugging on the tug when they get back to you."

Alissa Schwab, of Amherst, owns a Jack Russell terrier, the height dog for the Buffalo Wings.

"I got started because obedience training wasn't enough for Jack Russell terriers," Schwab said. "The Buffalo wings needed a fast height dog and they came to training and spotted him and he was hired."

She's been racing for seven years now and now owns three Jack Russells.

"It's great for my dogs," she said. "They look forward to it. The community of people from our region is just fantastic and the racing is good."

The owners enjoy the race. The dogs enjoy pleasing their masters and getting a treat at the end of the run, usually a tug on a rope, but maybe something a little more tasty.

"They like to be rewarded for doing things they love," Schwab said. "You're part of the reward. They want to come back to you."

With a bachelor's degree in psychology from the State University of New York at Brockport, Tori Ganino understands the benefits of positive reinforcement in the development of children.

Conversely, this understanding has traversed into her developing business, Calling All Dogs.

She, along with husband Rich Ganino, opened the training and obedience "school" in February, this year. Both hold the belief that positive reinforcement is essential when training dogs with fear and aggression issues.

“Positive training teaches a dog that something is a good thing,” the Elba resident said. “Punishment techniques only reaffirms fearful behavior.”

Using techniques referred to as "luring," "shaping" and "capturing," Ganino is able to assist dog owners with reshaping their animal’s negative behavior. These training methods use dog treats as a reward system for positive behavior. For example in luring, the owner holds a treat in front of the dog’s nose, brings it back over the top of the dog’s head, the animal then follows the treat and has no alternative but to “fall” into a sitting position; that is when the dog gets the reward. Shaping, though similar to luring, breaks down a command into small steps using treats for the “jackpot” reward.

“This method rewards the dog for trying, so the dog doesn’t think 'Why am I not winning? This isn’t fun.' It’s a way to make a dog think,” Ganino said.

Capturing on the other hand, rewards a dog when it’s “caught” in an acceptable behavior like lying down. The animal is rewarded with a dog treat or other positive motivation, like petting or playing catch with its favorite ball.

Tori developed an interest in positive dog training methods when she adopted a dog from a shelter who had a negative experience with a person. Furthermore, she had a negative experience when she took her dog to a basic training course, then a second negative experience with a different trainer.

“I knew that my dog had outward aggression and the techniques used by the other trainers were not helping me or my dog,” she said. “I needed to be an advocate for my dog and find training strategies that use positive reinforcement as a method for obedience.”

To develop her ensuing passion as an advocate for dogs with fear or aggression issues, Tori went to Animal Behavior College via an online course. In addition to classwork and tests, she had to also volunteer at a local shelter or training facility as well as intern with a certified trainer for seven sessions.

“The course taught me the basics, but I wanted to learn more,” the certified trainer said. “It was a great start though.”

Tori interned with a trainer near Irondequoit for one-and-a-half years. During that time, she continued reading, watching videos and asking “lots of questions,” but she credits the hands-on experience for her enthusiasm to help other dogs and their owners.

Calling All Dogs can also prepare a dog to earn the Canine Good Citizen Certificate. Upon completion of this “rigorous” training, owners can have their dogs test through AKC.org to receive a certificate assuring that the dog is a “really good dog."

“However, emergencies happen and I am here to help,” Tori said. “One client adopted a dog from a shelter, brought the dog home and the dog bit her husband. This happened later at night, I was there the next day to work with the dog.”

Behavior adjustment helps a dog change its thought process, kind of like Pavlov’s Law. Another method is called "Clicker Training" -- work first, then rewarded for work.

“With fear, anxiety and aggression, we take the behavior out of the dog and make it excited that that person or object is really okay,” she said. “It also works with anxiety or fear of sounds such as thunder.”

Ganino also volunteers at the Genesee County Animal Shelter with Volunteers 4 Animals. There she teaches group classes with the volunteers to work with dogs to help them become more adoptable.

“We recently worked with one dog with barrier problems,” Ganino said. “He had a fear with people coming near his crate. We helped make him excited for people to be there.”

Currently, Calling All Dogs holds private lessons in both Genesee and Monroe counties. However, group classes will be starting in the near future at the Tractor Supply on East Main Street, Batavia. While their “ultimate goal” is to open their own building to foster, train and socialize dogs, the business does host Moderate Day Care sessions.

“It’s like taking your dog on a play date with 10 to 15 other dogs,” Ganino said. “They need to socialize. It’s good for them mentally as well as physically.

“We encourage our clients to do the research,” Ganino said. “Communication is the key between me and our clients; call, text, e-mail; anything to keep the lines of communication open.”

Ganino stresses that her training techniques are based on positive methods, using tools that physically and mentally exercise the animal. She also emphasized that dogs want to learn and owners need to make it fun and get dogs excited about training. According to the dog trainer, oftentimes owners become impressed with what their dogs can do.

“Our business motto is ’Training for all breeds!’ There are always breeds being discriminated against for aggressive personalities,” Ganino said. “For this reason some major training chains do not allow them in their play group or training classes.

”Right now the breed being targeted the most is the pit bull,” Ganino continued. ”We accept all breeds. Every dog can learn and deserves the chance to.”

For more information visit CallingAllDogsNY.com or to volunteer at the Genesee County Animal Shelter visit www.vol4animals.org.

Genesee County Health Department is offering an anti-rabies immunization clinic on Thursday April 3, 2014 from 4pm until 7pm at the Pembroke Highway Department located on the NE corner of Route 77 and Route 5; at 1145 Main Road (Route 5), Pembroke, NY. Vaccination will be offered to dogs, cats and ferrets. There is no charge for the residents of Genesee County; out of county pet owners will be asked for a $5.00 donation. Please bring your pets with proper restraints; on leashes, in cages etc. Be prepared to supply pet owner information; name, address, telephone contact info, etc.

Do you have problems with you four-legged friend? Well, come see me no dog is too big or too small for me to handle. I will train your dog while I am walking your dog. I will take your dog for a nice long walk, about 45min to an hour. I grew up with dogs and I am great with dogs, I have 12 years experience. So if you want me to walk your dog or dogs please call me at 585-297-3141 or email me at [email protected] I have GOOD references.

Genesee County Health Department is offering an anti-rabies immunization clinic on Thursday April 18, 2013 from 4pm til 7pm at the Pembroke Highway Garage located at 1145 Main Road; the NE corner of Route 77 and Route 5, in the Town of Pembroke. Vaccination will be offered to dogs, cats and ferrets. There is no charge for the residents of Genesee County, out of county pet owners will be asked for a $5.00 donation. Please bring your pets with the proper restraints; on leashes, in cages etc. Be prepared to supply pet owner information; name, address, telephone contact info, etc.

Jazzy won over a lot of hearts in New York City last week, but she made Joanne Mistler's heart soar when a Westminster Kennel Club judge named her one of two finalists among 25 English Setters invited to the competition this year.

It was a male English Setter that won best of breed, but 3-year-old "GCH Birdhavens and All That Jazz" (Jazzy's full name) was named "Best of Breed/Opposite Sex."

Just getting invited to Westminster to show Jazzy was a big honor, Mistler said, but to come home with a ribbon from America's most prestigious dog show is the thrill of a lifetime.

"She just showed beautifully, and she loves to show," Mistler said.

A few years ago, Westminster became an invitation-only show. A dog must score enough points in accredited competitions to get on the short list of dogs who can enter the ring. Mistler took Jazzy to more than a dozen shows in the past 18 months. She won her first major in Chicago, which helped her get into Westminster.

Jazzy was part of the Sporting Group. (Groups are what you see on TV, not the breed competitions.) The male that won English Setters advanced to the group, and from the four groups, Westminster judges picked Best in Show. This year, Best in Show was Banana Joe, an affenpinscher.

For owners who show dogs, getting to Westminster isn't cheap, and the payoff ... well, unless you get Best of Breed at Westminster followed by some endorsement deals, there isn't much money to be made from dog shows.

"People say, how much do you get? How much money do you get," Mistler said. "I say, you get a ribbon, that’s it. But this ribbon -- this is prestige."

Mistler started showing setters in dog shows in the 1970s.

She and her husband bought a setter when her twins were 2 years old, and one day she was walking down a New York street and a member of the Staten Island Kennel Club asked her if she ever showed her dog.

She hadn't. He said the club was having a "fun show," and she should enter.

She did, and her dog won.

"Of course, I was hooked," Mistler said.

Her son, local businessman Ken Mistler, said he went to a lot of dog shows growing up.

In the days before Westminster was invitation-only, Joanne Mistler did manage to enter the competition -- entries would open at noon and be closed (sold out, essentially) by 12:30 -- so getting an invitation this year was itself something special.

There were 2,800 dogs in this year's competition, with 25 English Setters, and of those 25, nine were females.

Owners showing dogs must be there by 9 a.m. and stay until 3 p.m., Mistler said. The public walks through the show freely, meeting all the dogs, talking to owners and learning about different breeds.

"It's a long day for exhibitors, but it's prestigious just to be there," Mistler said. "(Jazzy) had her picture taken a thousand times and was petted by a million people."

Next up for Jazzy is becoming a mother. Mistler said she will go into heat next month.

She already has a prospective mate.

A lot goes into picking a mate for a show dog, Mistler said. Show dogs are judged against a set of standards for the breed, and every show dog has some standard that gets just a little off.

"No dog is perfect," Mistler said. "If she has a tail set too low, you look for a male with an even tail. If she is not deep-chested, you look for a male with a deep chest. You try to offset it."

The owner of the prospective mate loves Jazzy's temperament and the way she showed, Mistler said.

Typically, a pure-breed setter puppy sells for about $1,000. The red ribbon might make Jazzy's puppies a little more valuable.

From the time of Mistler's first show dog until Jazzy's predecessor (a female that wouldn't breed), Mistler always kept a puppy from the litter. With Jazzy's litter, Mistler hopes to resume the line of dogs she's bred.

Picking that puppy is as much art as it is science. At about six weeks, you see bone structure and whether the animal will be well-proportioned.

If your puppy shows, great. If one of the other puppies shows, even better.

"You hope that one of these puppies will be shown," Mistler said. "It’s every breeders dream. The chances are, if you get one to go to show out of a litter, that’s wonderful. That’s what everybody’s dream is, to have the dog that you can say, ‘Joanne bred that dog. That’s one of Joanne’s breeds.’ ”

Amy Worthington and Stacy Mullett celebrated the opening of their respective businesses, "Amy's Fluffy Friends" and "Phoenix Creatives," on Saturday.

Pictured are Katie Chapell-Vaught -- proprietor of "Athena's Bakery," which specializes in dog treats that are sold at "Amy's Fluffy Friends" -- Worthington (holding Clifford) and Mullett at the grand opening. It was held at the two businesses' shared space at 238 Ellicott St. in Batavia.

"Amy's Fluffy Friends" offers grooming services for canines of all sizes, including (but not limited to) baths with massage, premium shampoos and conditioners, brushing, nail trimming, hair removal and sanitary trim, as well as skunk and flea treatment.

Worthington carries a variety of shampoos, including kinds that are designed for dogs with sensitive skin. She is open to customers bringing in their own shampoos if they prefer to do so.

In honor of the opening, she will offer free nail trimming for the first month.

Mullett is offering 50-percent off of custom printing orders and "U-Pick" T-shirt designs for the first month.

Worthington and Mullett were friends and coworkers well before they decided to share business space.

"(Then one day) we said, 'We should go into business together,' " Worthington said. "It was almost like a joke. But then the thought stuck in our heads. It was a good idea."

"Amy's Fluffy Friends" is open from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday through Friday (Worthington said she will stay until 5 p.m. if need be) and on Saturdays by appointment only. For more information, call 300-8765.

Hours of operation for "Phoenix Creatives" are 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and noon until 4 p.m. Saturdays. For more information, call 298-2045.

Genesee County Health Department is offering an anti-rabies immunization clinic on Thursday October 18, 2012 from 4pm til 7pm at the Le Roy Village Highway Garage located at 58 North Street in the Village of Le Roy. Vaccination will be offered to dogs, cats and ferrets. There is no charge for the residents of Genesee County, out of county pet owners will be asked for a $5.00 donation. Please bring your pets with the proper restraints; on leashes, in cages etc. Be prepared to supply pet owner information; name, address, telephone contact info, etc.

Hi! I'm writing to tell you about The Animal Rescue Site $300,000 Shelter+ Challenge of 2012 - together with Petfinder. The Animal Rescue Site is awarding $300,000 in grants to eligible Petfinder.com member rescue organizations to help animals. The grand prize in each voting round is a $5,000 grant, and there are many other prizes! Visit The Animal Rescue Site to vote every day and learn more. You don't have to register, and voting is FREE! Support your favorite shelter and vote today!

How long is the Challenge, and how can we increase our chances?
This voting round begins on January 9, 2012, and ends at midnight (PT) on March 18, 2012. There will be other voting rounds throughout the year - more chances for your organization to win! The more friends you can rally to vote for your favorite rescue organization, the better its chances of winning. Every vote, every day counts - shelters can pull ahead even during the last few days with enough support. Get people involved! Your favorite rescue organization is counting on you!

What kind of grant could my shelter win?
Seventy (70) grants will be awarded for a total of $75,000 to eligible Petfinder.com members during the very first voting round of the 2012 Challenge. The grand prize will go to the eligible Petfinder.com organization with the highest accumulative votes for the duration of the Challenge as specified in the rules.

The Prizes Are:Grand Prize: One $5,000 grant!Dark Horse Grand Prize: One $2,000 grant!Dark Horse Runners Up: Five $1,000 grants.State Winners: Fifty-one $1,000 state grants
(50 U.S. states and Washington D.C.)Canadian Winners: One $1,000 grant will be awarded.International Winner: One $1,000 grant will be awarded.Weekly Winners: Ten $1,000 grants will be awarded, one for each week of this voting round of the Shelter+ Challenge.

"Scruffy" just did what his breed is wont to do when a person in his care is assaulted -- he attacked the aggressor.

An East Main Street woman was sent to UMMC around 8:30 p.m., Tuesday, after she allegedly went onto a neighbor's property and started fighting with a woman who was staying there.

Her leg was reportedly bitten pretty badly.

The woman whom "Scruffy" was reportedly protecting also suffered a dog bite, probably accidentally, when she tried pulling "Scruffy" off the other woman. She was also transported to UMMC.

When the incident started, "Scruffy" was quietly sitting on his own porch at 516 E. Main St., doing what he normally does -- just watching -- when the fight started. He jumped off the porch and attacked the woman who had allegedly come onto his property.

Neither "Scruffy" nor his owner face any chargers since "Scruffy" did not leave his owner's property and didn't break any laws.

Peck said neighbors were familiar with the dog and described him as normally very friendly. The dog has no prior history of attacks or aggression. Peck said "Scruffy" was friendly with him when he approached.

Whether either of the women will be charged with any crime is unknown, Sgt. Peck said. The case is still open.

Peck said the women had been taunting each other recently, which seemed to precipate the alleged altercation last night.

The police are not releasing any names until and unless actual charges are filed.

I am just wondering if anyone else here on The Batavian would be interested in being part of a Doggie Play Date group. I have a new 5 month old puppy that needs some socialization both with other dogs and people. Dogs of any ages would be welcome provided they are not physically dog aggressive. If you are interested or know someone who might be, please reply to this post. I will also be printing up a flyer for my vet and groomer's offices, and the shelter if they'll post it. If you'd like one let me know.

I just got back from walking Daisy, our new dog. We got her about a week ago from the Batavia Animal Shelter (who were fantastic, by the way). Anyway, our walk took us down Ellicott to Liberty to Main St down to Chambers, then we turned around.

We're working on walking Daisy, and socializing her, so I figured a 2pm walk would mean that we would run into a bunch of different people in different circumstances. And, we did meet some people, but not more than 10. Daisy barks at most men, wagging her tail and sniffing the whole time, but I think she's just intimidated by them, so I'd like her to be socialized with both people and dogs. Are there places and times in Batavia that would provide a nice environment for Daisy to get to know people?

Stacey Savige had found the little dog in front of an elementary school. He wasn't very big, looked like some sort of terrier. Burrs clung to his belly. His honey fur was caked in mud.

He didn't have a collar. Stacey had taken him to the vet and he didn't have a chip, either.

Now Stacey had to go to work. Could Yolanda keep him?

Yolanda is 47. She's a divorced mom with two boys. In recent years she has survived breast cancer and cervical cancer, lost her dark hair and eyelashes to chemo. A hairdresser, she hasn't worked since 2006.

"You can leave the dog here," Yolanda told Stacey. "But just for today."

WE HAVE SOME ANIMALS WITH SOME SPECIAL NEEDS BUT DON’T BE SCARED. THEY JUST NEED SOME EXTRA LOVE AND CARE BUT MOST OF ALL THEY NEED A CHANCE. WE MADE SOME VIDEOS SO THAT EVERYONE CAN SEE JUST HOW WONDERFUL THEY ARE - SO TAKE A MOMENT, SIT BACK AND ENJOY. YOU CAN GO TO OUR WEBSITE TO CONNECT TO YouTube FOR A PEEK AT THESE GREAT ANIMALS.

THERE IS A $30 FEE FOR ALL ANIMALS, A $35 REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT FOR ANY ANIMAL NOT SPAYED OR NEUTERED, AND ALL DOGS MUST BE LICENSED BEFORE LEAVING THE SHELTER.

For those who have been with the site for a while, you may have noticed we like to post the adoption videos posted on YouTube by the Genesee County Animal Shelter. Well, today, we found a few new videos from the shelter that are quite fun. Usually, the shelter crew just records the animals frolicking around and sets that to some quirky music. In three new videos, the shleter crew actually gives "interviews" with... well, really about the dogs. Check it out: